Beginner Exercise 199 / Solution

Solution  

The solution is the placement at which prevents Black from making two eyes here. It simultaneously threatens the snapback at a as well as the cut at b.

Best Black play  

The best Black play is to save the remainder of the Black group with , allowing to capture two Black stones for an eye. Note that White has an eye in the corner at a.

Black resistance  

If refuses to give up the two stones, then and cuts. It is four liberties to two, so White wins this capturing race.

More Black resistance  

here is a more interesting resistance. But is an atari, making miai of the capture at a and the cut at b.

Reference  

It is possible for White to save the corner group by playing first at , but will simply make two eyes and allow to connect outside. However, White did not get to capture anything. (If is played at , then can be played at and revert back to the solution.)

Failure  

The atari at here is a mistake. After connecting at , if White cuts the group with and , then lives with two eyes.